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History

1913

discovered by Lorrin A. Thurston, a local newspaper publisher and conservationist.

1987

included into UNESCO world heritage list.

Description

Image: the cave is the only lava tube with electric light on the Hawai'ian islands.

Thurston Lava Tube is located in Volcano National Park on Big
Island, Hawai'i.
It is the only show cave amongst the numerous lava tubes on the Hawai'ian
islands.
It is one of numerous sights of the Park, and like the other sights it can be
visited all day without restrictions on a self guided tour.

The park also has several active volcanoes.
An eruption which continued for decades reached a state, where the lava flow
built its own tunnel, which is still filled with lava.
The lava flows underground and reappears after several kilometers at the sea.

Bild: the dark basaltic rocks of the cave walls are covered by white ashes.

Thurston Lava Tube reached the next stage of its development.
The eruption ended, the lava left the tube and it cooled down.
Today its rather cool and moisty inside, as the area above the cave is covered
by rain forest.
The roots of trees and other plants go through the roof of the cave and hang
down from the ceiling.

Thurston Lava Tube is entered through a collapsed part of the roof.
The cave is obviously a single passage, nearly round and of nearly constant
diameter.
It winds uphill with about 2%.
The exit is another, much smaller, collapsed part of the roof.

Thurston Lava Tube is pretty short, 150m is not much compared to other lava
tubes with tens or hundreds of kilometers.
On the other hand, lava tubes are very uniform, so you can see most typical
features of this type of caves in Thurston Lava Tube very well.